"Irene" Day Legoland

Though we didn't get a lot of rain out of Hurricane Irene, we did get a whole rainy day on Saturday.  We started out playing a game, but it didn't hold anyone's interest very long (it was a new game, & I'm not sure we played it the right way...)  I thought card games would have to come next, but then came the question: "Corey, would you get your Legos out of the attic for us to play?"

And so for the rest of the day (literally for hours) most of us sorted through (some, including MOI, practiced OCD color coding, wheels in one bag, etc.) or played with a bazillion Legos that are nearly 30 years old.

Some worked intensely; like Corey who built a couple of really awesome completely- according-to-the-picture items (like a space ship & a castle); and G. who found exactly the pieces he needed as soon as he asked for them; & me, sorting pieces by color...

and R. who followed the directions for one item and then created another item to go with it.

We all enjoyed just being together & being "kids" for a whole afternoon.

The box in the background was completely full of Legos... and you can see how big it was (I say, "was" because today it went out with the trash!)

The "little man" actually played with the Legos while the rest of us sorted/created and it was so neat to hear all the sounds that little boys make when they are playing (talk about bringing back some memories!!!)  The little Lego people are usually pretty much all he likes to play with, so I worked all afternoon trying to put together torsos and legs and heads and helmets and arms....

G. and I worked at sorting out by color and then I bagged all of them up in ziploc bags, so the next time we "play" it will be easier to follow instructions since they have pictures showing what colors are used.

What a wonderful day it was and what a great memory we made!

Cute!!!

I have a younger friend whom I have known for several years, (before she was married & had two wonderful children) and she is extremely creative.  She has an Etsy shop that is called Queen of Hooks aptly named because she crochets beautifully. But more recently she has become the queen of the sewing machine!  Her items are so cute and she just came out with my favorite...
  *a clutch to carry a cell phone, plus iTouch, plus driver's license, all in one!

 She makes really cute kids' clothes, too.  But the neatest thing is that she has a great creative bent so she can make about anything you want.  (She's working on a "protege" for me right now...)  Don't miss out on this great site!!
*(this one was made for my daughter, hence the "G" monogram)

Peaceful Skies

We've had the joy of having our son & daughter-in-love for the weekend, thanks to the hurricane warnings!  Since it was tracking to make a direct hit on Virginia Beach, they drove down last night, hoping to avoid power outages and fierce storms.  About an hour after they arrived, just after their impromptu swim with the kids whose mom & dad were out of town for the night, so grandparents could let them stay up late enough to swim after dark,  our power went out.  No strong wind, no rain, nothing.... except that we heard a transformer nearby pop several times.  They had all just towel-dried, so we went in, got flashlights out, & lit candles.  After getting the kids ready for bed, we realized that we would quickly lose the cool air in the house... I hadn't figured on the AC quitting.  So I had to find the only 2 temporary screens we have, and put one in each of the "guest" bedrooms.  Our bedroom is big enough to hold the coolness a bit longer.  We were only without power for a couple of hours, so at 12:30 AM all the lights in the living room came back on.  But so did the AC, for which we were very grateful!

We dodged the damage this time and so did Virginia Beach... But at least we got a nice visit from our "kids" out of it.  Thankful that there was so much less damage all along the coast than had been predicted!

Riding it Out

By this time tomorrow, the scene may look much different than it does in my blog header...

Not knowing how much effect we may get, I'm going through the checklist:
1.batteries in the radio: check
2. laundry done: last load in
3. food supplies in: check (just made salsa!)
4. candles, flashlights, lighters: check
5. plenty of chocolate: well, enough to get by
6. lawn furniture secured: still got that to do
7. gas for grill: hubs got it this AM
8. bottled water on hand: check
9. fill the bathtub with water: really??!!  heard that's what we should do...
10. get guest room ready for son & daughter-in-love coming down from VA Beach where things could get really dicey: check

I'm sure I've overlooked something, but we're hoping and praying that all of the above will be for naught (except for getting the guest room ready!)  Sorry for the reason, but sure looking forward to a weekend with them!

Retired?

Retirement... that's when you have nothing to do & just sit around, right?
WRONG (praise God! I don't even want to do that!)

When my dear hubby retired, some friends who were a couple of years ahead of us on that told us we would have to consciously set aside date times with each other or time would get filled up & we wouldn't have any more time together than before retirement.  And they were right!
So we had set aside today as a "date day."  And we started if off with...

BREAKFAST!!!  Breakfast is not usually appealing to me and I really don't go for the big country breakfasts at restaurants.  But I got to choose, and several friends had told me about the new coffee place in town...

Yes, that IS Nutella on my waffle!  And I don't even know how to describe these waffles. They have sugar crystals cooked into the waffle, the waffle has a different (more flavorful) taste than most, and even though it is rather small it is really filling.  It is not served with syrup but none is needed.

Hubby had the blueberry one and plain, regular, black coffee...

I, on the other hand, never go for anything plain... so mine was a mocha latte,

and it was delicious to the very last drop!  Their coffee REALLY is good!!!  And I'm not a coffee "critic," but no after taste, smooth, flavorful, and rich would describe this coffee.

We were on a hunt for a couple of small items that took us to World Market, Target, Pier 1, Walmart, Sears, Tuesday Morning, HomeGoods, Steinmart, Crazy Mary's (a local garden stand) and .... lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  WHEW!!!
Bargain of the day: 4 salad plates (that match 4 bowls & plates I already have) for $2.86!

Now that's what I call a real "date day"...!!!

A Boating We Will Go...

Last weekend I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do for quite a while...

I got to ride on a RIB!  That's Rigid Inflatable Boat....

The boats are rigid on the lower part & the upper sides are inflatable; and it's what my son has been working on/with for the last few years.

They are pretty good sized...

 Once a year they have a "family day" when they take family members out on the boats, and this year we got to go!

They start out slowly (there is a "5 knots" speed limit in the harbor) and flat..

Then pick up speed & tip front upwards...
And then they flatten out & go very fast!  I don't like any kind of amusement park rides...
but I LOVE speed!

 Like I said, it was "family day" so our whole family was there!